Baby Brother
by Lucigoosey The Lightbringer
Summary: "Or have you forgotten, Michael, that I'm your baby brother?"


**_A/N:_**_ Hey guys! Sorry for the angst train, I actually wrote this a while back and kinda forgot to post it o.o Anywho, I needed to let you all know that I'm not going to be posting any chapters for Soulmates this week - I'll be picking back up next Monday! ^^ Love you all, and Happy New Year!_

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"I can't decide whether you should live or die…"

"Lucifer," Michael ground out through clenched teeth, not taking his gaze off of the fire flickering at the edges of the Cage. The only reason he hadn't stormed forward to get closer was because of Adam - the human was vulnerable to fire, and the archangel had made him promises he still intended to keep when Adam had agreed to be his vessel. And, aside from that, Adam was seething; A cauldron of pure, bubbling, fiery rage, and Michael didn't need that right now. He needed to keep his vessel somewhat complaisant, so that he could think, and not have to struggle for control. Whatever he might think of humans, Adam Milligan was certainly a Winchester, and much to his chagrin, all Winchesters seemed absolutely determined to make his existence a living… well, Hell.

"What?" Lucifer was laughing as he sank his weight forward against the bars, watching the flames with a smile written across his face, the orange glow making the Devil look just a little more intimidating than he should. Michael wasn't scared of his younger brother - he never had been, and he doubted he ever would be - but the look on his face was nothing short of terrifying, the malice and fury glinting through his eyes. It made the ever-widening smile much less significant. "I'm sorry, Micha, am I _annoying_ you?"

Choosing to ignore him rather than dignify his taunts with any kind of reply, Michael turned his head away from his brother and scanned the area around them in silence. His mouth twisted faintly, jaw setting, eyes darkening, as he got a good look around the Cage. He had watched the amount of effort his Father had put into it, watched how he had carved the symbols into the bars and chains with great care. He knew how it all worked - from the outside. From the inside, he was about as clueless as he would be if you threw him in a bar on Earth and asked him to play pool. Frustrated, the archangel closed his eyes and inhaled.

_This shouldn't be happening, _he told himself blankly, _I am an archangel, for crying out loud. I don't belong down here._

"Brother, brother, brother…" Lucifer sighed, turning to face him now, and Michael barely cracked an eye open to look back over at him. "You poor, pathetic little angel." The smile tugging at his brother's lips seemed to widen, if only slightly. But his eyes darkened, cold and dangerous - his younger brother was pissed. "The irony here… it's just beautiful, don't you think?"

Michael tilted his head a little, never moving his gaze from his brother's. "If you have something to say to me, Lucifer, I would suggest getting straight to the point," he responded coldly, much less angry than his brother. He prided himself on that, being able to keep his calm just a little bit easier than Lucifer seemed to. But, his younger sibling didn't seem fazed - in fact, he actually seemed rather calm, now, himself, as he whistled sharply and rolled his eyes to the side.

"It's funny how everyone says pride is _my_ sin," the Devil mumbled, turning his attention back to the flames outside of the Cage. "At least I can admit that I belong down here… to an extent," he allowed, and Michael rolled his eyes. "But you just can't own up to your own faults, can you?"

"I'm not perfect, but don't even dare begin comparing _me_ to _you_-"

"What, because I'm a monster?" Lucifer turned back to him. "A freak? Because I'm not like you and the other angels? Oh, boo-hoo. So I rebelled. So I don't wanna follow daddy's orders like a mindless slave. I made one mistake-"

"One mistake?" Michael interrupted him incredulously. "_One_ mistake? So the apple was just one mistake? The rebellion? The angels you slaughtered?" At this, Lucifer's gaze darkened, looking away, and Michael scoffed and laughed. "That's right, I forgot you don't care about the angels anymore. You have the horrible, twisted creatures that bow to _you_ now instead," he spat venomously. "Because poor little Lucifer needs to be appreciated."

"There was so much more to it than that," Lucifer seethed, glaring at him once again. "But you wouldn't know that, because you never listen. Hell, you have the gall to accuse me of wanting to be appreciated - but from what I recall it was always you who had to be in the spotlight. Even now, who's ruling Heaven? Who's top angel around here? Oh! Right! Michael-!"

"Not by _choice_!"

"No, no, of course not!" Lucifer pushed himself forward, advancing a little closer now. "By obligation, right? Because dear old Dad left-"

"Because of you," Michael hissed, taking a few steps closer as his brother did. Lucifer went still, just for a second, staring at him with an almost disbelieving expression written across his face. And then it twisted, nothing but pain and anger flitting across his younger brother's expression, lips curling back over his teeth in a sneer as he met Michael's gaze.

"Or maybe it's because you weren't good enough for him, Michael," he taunted lowly, and Michael jerked back slightly. "Maybe that's why everybody leaves you. Me. Dad. Hell, even Gabriel-"

Absolutely furious now, Michael grabbed his brother by the front of his shirt and propelled himself forward, slamming Lucifer back into the bars and baring his teeth. "You have no right to speak of Gabriel!" He spat, as Lucifer tilted his head back, glaring up at him coldly. "After what you did, you don't even deserve to speak his _name_." He leaned forward. "You killed your baby brother and you have the audacity to pretend you're anything less than a monster."

Lucifer's mouth twitched, lips curling back in a snarl. "Here he goes again, acting all high and mighty," he replied coldly, leaning forward a little. "As if you weren't just ready to kill me. Or have you forgotten, Michael, that I'm _your_ baby brother?"

Michael halted, staring at him, speechless for the first time since the argument began. Lucifer just grabbed him by the wrists and shoved him back, and Michael did nothing to stop himself as he stumbled and slammed back into the bars of the Cage on the opposite side, only ripping himself away when he felt the flames begin to rise too close for comfort.

"This will be good for you, Michael," the Devil sneered. "Maybe the Cage will burn away the rest of your ego."

Michael's eyes flashed, but he said nothing; Lucifer turned away from him, focused on the flames once more. After a while of simply staring at his younger brother, the archangel hissed softly through his teeth and retreated, back into the far corner of his own mind, where Adam was locked and buried away, momentarily stifled by the archangel's Grace. But Michael could feel him digging his fingers in, filling up the spots where his power couldn't reach, ready to fight back at any moment if he was giving the chance. For now, though, the human just sat in the darkness, still and steady, eyes narrowed down at his hands.

And he didn't look up as Michael strode past him. Michael didn't spare him a passing glance, pushing himself deeper into the darkness, into the silence. Neither of them spoke a word to each other. Neither of them said a thing.


End file.
